Manitoba politicians pull all-nighter debating budget bill with food tax cut

Members of the Manitoba legislature sat overnight and into Wednesday (May 27) in an ongoing battle over a government budget bill that includes a tax cut on some food.

The bill contains several measures, including elimination of the provincial sales tax on items such as prepared meals, snacks and soft drinks at grocery and convenience stores. Most other foods, such as meat, bread and produce, are already tax-exempt.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives say the tax cut doesn't amount to much—about $100 a year for a family of four, government estimates say—and have called for an income-tax cut to be added to the bill.

The government has said the food-tax cut cannot take effect on July 1 as planned unless the Tories let the bill pass before the legislature's summer break, scheduled to start on Monday.

"The Manitoba P.C.s don't care about Manitoba families," NDP house leader Nahanni Fontaine said before debate began Tuesday afternoon.

READ: Manitoba premier says grocery tax cut will expand to corner stores

The Tories say the NDP, with its majority government, can enact the tax cut before the bill passes while also considering further tax-cut measures. They said savings on snacks won't mean much in a time of rising prices on fuel, utilities and more.

"I think many Manitobans are feeling that this is a fiscal crisis situation because they're getting squeezed on ... almost all of the different bills that they're getting," Kelvin Goertzen, a veteran Tory MLA said Wednesday.

Goertzen spoke for roughly four hours overnight, via Zoom, without stopping — something that required preparation while he was out at a community dinner earlier in the evening.

"I was very mindful not to over-consume any liquids because the reality is that, when you're speaking in the legislature you can't stop. There's no bathroom break. If you stop speaking, you are done," Goertzen said.

A pack of cough drops helped Goertzen maintain his speaking voice.

The NDP used the legislative standoff in a fundraising email sent to supporters earlier this month. The message asked for money to help the party fight Opposition "obstruction."